The Diverted Stream
by Jayie The Hufflepuff
Summary: Entry for a "What if?" contest on BlogClan, Kate Cary's personal blog. What if Graystripe had died instead of Silverstream? The new mother must decide which path is the best choice for herself and her new kits, and mark out her place in a Clan that seems determined not to accept her. Two chapters, completed.
1. Part One

The Diverted Stream: Part One  
A Contest Entry

The soft light of sunrise colored the shifting surface of the river with splotches of ambers and golds. A gentle newleaf breeze sent soft ripples across the surface of the river. The cruel grip of leafbare no longer held sway over the river or those that depended on it for their survival, and now the hunger of the cold season felt like a distant memory. Shifting shapes could be seen under the surface of the water, offering the promise of plentiful prey for the warm season. But as a single cat slipped out from the undergrowth and approached the water, the thought of prey was far from her mind.

The cat crept her way slowly towards the edge of the river. Her silver pelt was glowing a soft amber in the light of the rising sun. The light emphasized the plump shape of her belly, which made her gait awkward as she approached the water's edge. She hesitated only for a moment before stepping into the water, pushing herself effortlessly into the river. The tabby pushed herself forward with strong, sure strokes of her paws. Though her belly weighed her down on land, she was as strong as ever in the water. Sometimes it felt more like home to her than having solid ground under her paws.

It only took a few moments to cross to the other shore. The tabby took a few steps onto the rocky shore, taking a moment to shake the water from her pelt. It slid neatly from her sleek pelt in a matter of moments. With that done, she lifted her head, peering curiously into the forest. There was someone she was waiting for. She had to be careful – she wasn't supposed to see her, and she would be missed if she stayed away from camp too long. She just had to hope that the one she had agreed to meet would be here soon.

Without warning, pain exploded in the she-cat's gut. Something inside of her was twisting and writing, contorting in ways she had never experienced, sending agony shooting through every muscle. An agonized wail escaped her. She tried to clamp her jaws shut. It wasn't safe to be heard here, not when she was in enemy territory, but the pain was too great to ignore. Another wail tore its way from her jaws. Her legs buckled from under her, the tabby falling onto her belly with a cry.

Horrible realization dawned on her. _The kits!_ A choked gasp rose from her throat. _The kits are coming now!_

" _Re-ee-owr!_ " Suddenly, a weight bowled into her, slamming her onto her shoulder on the rocks. She gasped in new pain, letting loose another wail as her belly continued to twist and writhe inside of her. The tabby turned her head to get a look at her attacker. A dark tabby tom was glaring down at her, fury blazing in his yellow eyes. "Trespasser!" he hissed. "The Sunningrocks are ThunderClan territory! Didn't Oakheart's death teach you anything?" Without waiting for an answer, the tom burrowed his jaws in her thick pelt, his claws digging into her sides.

Terror blazed through the tabby. _Don't hurt my kits!_ She tried to twist around to kick out at the tom's belly, but all she managed was a clumsy swipe that he easily avoided. With the agony of kit-birth coursing through her, she was helpless to beat off the stronger warrior. Her wailing rose in pitch as his fangs dug deeper and deeper into her pelt, and his claws continued to score down her pelt. _StarClan help me!_

"No! Silverstream!" Pawsteps thundered nearby, and suddenly the tabby's weight was being lifted from her, and the shrieks and howls of battle were rising. The tabby, Silverstream, gasped in gulps of air, desperate for breath now that the tabby's fangs were loose from her neck. The terrible agony still coursed through her belly, but once her breath was back, Silverstream forced herself to look up to see what was happening.

To her shock, a familiar gray tom was attacking the tabby with a furious energy, rage burning in his amber eyes. "Graystripe!" she gasped. Her mate was locked in battle with his own Clanmate. The tabby gave a baffled hiss as Graystripe lunged at him, carrying both toms off their paws and onto the ground. They tumbled for several moments, both battling for control, until the furious howls of battle broke off. For several moments, there was silence. Then the tabby struggled to his paws, backing shakily away from his attacker. Graystripe wasn't moving from where he lay on the ground.

Time seemed to stop. Silverstream was frozen in the moment, everything around her moving in a dull blur, the sounds of the world muffled to a low rumbling. Graystripe was lying at an odd angle, his face turned up towards the sky, the furious snarl frozen on his jaws. Scarlet blood was pulsing from a clumsy wound to his throat. She could see the red liquid threading through his thick pelt, dripping from his fur and forming a sticky pool on the rocks. The amber eyes that had once shined with light and mirth, that had once glowed with such love for her, were now dull and glazed over.

 _No._ A choked sob escaped her. _No._ Every hair on her pelt was trembling. _It can't be. This can't be real._ She could hear the panting of the tabby, the drip of blood from her mate's throat, the sounds of the world were filtering back in, but she was desperate to block it all out, to pretend none of it wasn't real, that the one she loved more than StarClan itself wasn't... wasn't...

"Graystripe?" A new voice sounded nearby. Moments later, a familiar ginger tabby raced out of the undergrowth, clambering down from the top of the rocky slope. He froze at the sight that awaited him. Silverstream could see his green eyes growing wide, his pelt beginning to tremble as he took in the bloody scene on the rocks. "Darkstripe?" he rasped, staring bleakly at the dark tabby. "Silverstream? What... how...?"

The dark tom, Darkstripe, took a step back from Graystripe, his eyes wide. "I... I didn't mean to kill him!" The aggressive tom seemed genuinely stunned by the bloody outcome of his Clanmate's attack. "He came out of nowhere and attacked me! I was just defending myself! I..." His yellow eyes were wide, his tail quivering as he stared at his dead Clanmate.

 _Dead._ Silverstream's whole body was shaking with sobs now. _Graystripe is dead. He's really dead._ The shock broke, and suddenly the full agony of her loss hit her. "Graystripe!" she wailed. She tried to push herself to her paws, desperate to reach his side, but the pain in her belly brought her back to the ground with a cry. _The kits!_ The tabby stared desperately around herself, her gaze finally reaching the ginger tom's. "Fireheart!" she gasped out, her breath ragged in her throat. "The kits! The kits are..." Her words were broken off with another wail.

Fireheart stared bleakly at her for several moments. His green eyes were dark with misery. Silverstream knew that Graystripe had been his best friend, that his death must bring him as much pain as it brought Graystripe. But finally, after several moments, he blinked. He moved slowly, dreamlike, as though still lost in a haze of pain. "Darkstripe," he murmured slowly. "Go get Yellowfang."

Darkstripe turned his stunned gaze from Graystripe's body to the ginger tom. For a moment, the hostile sneer returned to his lips. "What makes you think you can order me around, kittypet?" he sneered, glowering at the ginger tom.

Something in Fireheart's gaze hardened. He hurtled down the slope with a sudden burst of furious energy, bounding up to Darkstripe and thrusting his muzzle in the tom's face. Darkstripe recoiled from the sudden, furious snarl of the younger tom. "You just murdered your own Clanmate," Fireheart hissed, hatred glowing in his green eyes as he regarded Darkstripe. "You attacked a queen in the middle of kitting, and when your Clanmate tried to stop you, you killed him. You killed the best friend I ever had. I could tear you into crowfood right now!" Darkstripe took a half-step back, his eyes wide at the heavy rage in Fireheart's snarl. The ginger tom paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "But right now, Silverstream and her kits need my help. You've done enough harm today – do you really want to get in more trouble by ignoring kits in trouble?" He took another step towards Darkstripe, snapping, "Go get Yellowfang. _Now._ "

Darkstripe hesitated only a moment longer. Then, with a final, baffled glance in Graystripe's direction, he turned and bounded away, back towards ThunderClan's camp. Fireheart watched him go for several moments. Once Darkstripe was out of view, all of the furious energy seemed to leek from the tom. His ears and tail drooped, and he turned, trembling, back towards Silverstream. "He's gone," he murmured, glancing at his friend's body. "Graystripe... he's..."

Pain throbbed in Silverstream's chest. She tried to answer him, but her stomach clenched again, and more wailing tore from her throat. The sound seemed to break Fireheart from his trance. He blinked a few times, then padded slowly to Silverstream's side, laying a trembling paw on her side. "It's alright, Silverstream," he murmured. Misery still glowed in his eyes, but there was determination there now too. "I won't let anything happen to your kits. I won't." He took a shuddering breath. "Come on. I'm no medicine cat, but Yellowfang's taught me one or two things. I'll help you."

For a moment, Silverstream's gaze locked with Fireheart's. A moment of understanding passed between the two cats. _We would both die to protect the kits of Graystripe,_ Silverstream realized. Her gaze flicked briefly towards Graystripe's body, then she looked back to Fireheart. "I trust you," she murmured.

Fireheart's paw became firmer on her side. "Good. Then let's start."

 **SCENEBREAK**

The warrior was able to keep Silverstream focused through the pain until Darkstripe returned. Yellowfang had been out of camp, so the apprentice Cinderpaw had been brought to help Silverstream through her kitting instead. The deputy Tigerclaw had arrived as well, clearly furious about the presence of the RiverClan queen on his territory, but a few sharp words from Fireheart managed to keep him from attacking Silverstream. Cinderpaw was even able to get him to clean and look after the second born of Silverstream's kits while she worked with the queen.

The birthing was a hard one. Agony tore through Silverstream with every breath, and the worry in Cinderpaw's voice told her that she was bleeding too much. For a few moments, she thought she could feel ice in her pelt, and hear StarClan whispering to her. Then one voice grew louder than the others. _It's not your time yet._ Somehow, Cinderpaw had been able to pull Silverstream and both of her kits through the birthing alive, though Silverstream was left exhausted and weak.

"You should be alright now," the apprentice informed her. Even through the haze of pain, Silverstream could see pride and relief gleaming in Cinderpaw's eyes. She guessed that this was the young she-cat's first time attending to a birthing queen. "But we need to get you and your kits back to camp. You'll need some food and herbs to help you recover."

Tigerclaw's hackles flew up, and Silverstream could hear a disgusted snarl from Darkstripe. "What?" the deputy demanded, anger heavy in his mew. "You want to bring this RiverClan traitor and her mongrel kits into our camp? We should send her back across the river, where she belongs." During the kitting, Fireheart had been forced to explain the reason for Graystripe's death, and the truth about his love for Silverstream, to the deputy. Silverstream could see the disgust in his eyes as he looked down at her halfClan kits.

Cinderpaw cast a glare Tigerclaw's way. "Thee kits are too young to carry through the water, and there's no way Silverstream could make a swim that long in this state." Tigerclaw growled in reply, but Cinderpaw ignored him. "I'll carry the tom kit, and Darkstripe, you can carry the she-cat." The dark tabby opened his jaws to protest, but Cinderpaw silenced him with an icy glare. "That wasn't a request," she hissed.

The tom hesitated a moment longer, but even he could not ignore the order of a medicine cat, apprentice or not. Obediently, he lowered his muzzle to scoop up the tiny kit in his jaws. Silverstream's blood boiled at the sight of the tom who had killed her mate carrying their daughter in his jaws, but a reassuring glance from Cinderpaw told her that she wouldn't let Darkstripe hurt the kit. "Come on, Fireheart," she called to the ginger tom. "You can help support Silverstream." The apprentice picked the tom up gently between her teeth, then began leading the group away, Darkstripe falling in beside her. Tigerclaw gave a final growl, then bounded past his Clanmates, heading off towards camp. _To let the rest of the Clan know about me and Graystripe, no doubt,_ she thought bitterly.

Fireheart helped Silverstream rise to her paws, letting the weakened queen lean against his shoulder as he led her forward. "Come on," he murmured. "Let's get you to camp." Now that the urgency of getting Silverstream through her kitting was over, Silverstream could see the weariness of grief settling over the tom once more. She could feel the same grief, weighing heavy in her heart.

She hesitated. Graystripe's body still lay behind them, abandoned by his Clanmates. "We can't just leave him," she protested, her mew raw from wailing.

"We'll come back for him later," Fireheart murmured. For a moment, his green gaze met hers. She could see a solemn light glowing there. "The Clan may be angry at Graystripe, but I'll make sure he gets buried properly. I promise."

Silverstream hesitated only a moment longer. Then, she sighed, sagging against Fireheart's side. "Alright," she murmured. She closed her eyes as Fireheart led her away, leaving behind the body of the cat she had loved more than her Clan, more than honor, more than life itself.

 **SCENEBREAK**

The stunned silence and judging glares of the ThunderClan warriors as Silverstream was led into their camp told Silverstream that they had already been told about her and Graystripe. Indignation stirred in her blood. Even through her exhaustion, Silverstream forced herself to hold her head high as Fireheart led her towards the nursery, refusing to cower under the glares of Graystripe's Clanmates. _I will never be ashamed of having loved you,_ Silverstream thought. _Never._

Bluestar emerged from her den as Fireheart and Silverstream approached the nursery. Silverstream looked for reproach in her eyes, but to her surprise, only a gentle grief and understanding glowed there. Without a word, the leader stepped in beside Fireheart and Silverstream, padding into the nursery with them.

ThunderClan's four queens were all in their nests when Silverstream and Fireheart stepped inside, as was Cinderpaw, the two kits at her paws. Their stunned gazes told Silverstream they knew exactly why she was here. Speckletail gave a low growl, looking pointedly away from the RiverClan queen, but the rest just stared as Fireheart led Silverstream towards an empty nest, letting her slump gracelessly down onto the moss.

"Goldenflower." Bluestar's voice was soft as she addressed the golden queen. "Silverstream is weak from her kitting. Would you mind helping her nurse her kits while she regains her strength?"

There was a hiss from Speckletail's direction, but Goldenflower and Bluestar both ignored her. Goldenflower hesitated, glancing towards Silverstream, before her gaze softened with pity. "Of course," she told Bluestar.

"I can nurse my kits," Silverstream rasped.

Bluestar glanced at the RiverClan queen. "I understand," she mewed. "But feeding kits is draining, and you need to build up your strength." For a moment, something like longing glowed in Bluestar's eyes. Silverstream was surprised – had the ThunderClan leader once had kits of her own? But the thought was quickly chased from her mind.

"Still," she murmured. "I want to nurse them. I haven't... I haven't seen them yet." The kits had been taken from her to be cleaned after their birth, and Darkstripe and Cinderpaw had carried them away to camp before she'd gotten a chance to have a look at them. Even through her grief for Graystripe, and her exhaustion, longing for her kits burned in her belly.

The leader hesitated a moment longer, then dipped her head. "Of course," she said. "Very well." She gave a commanding flick of her tail, and Cinderpaw rose to her paws, carrying the kits to Silverstream's side. She helped guide the kits towards Silverstream's belly, the tiny creatures squeaking and wriggling as they searched for her warmth. In a few moments, they had found their way to her side, and their squeaking fell away to silence as they began to nurse.

Silverstream stared at the kittens at her side. They were so tiny, with twig-like limbs, ears folded against their heads, and eyes screwed up against the harsh light of the world they had just entered. Their fur was drier now, and Silverstream could see that while they both had thick fur, only the she-cat had her father's long, flowing pelt. The tom's thick fur was more like her own, but she could already see from his size and his dark gray pelt that he was going to look like his father. The she-cat, on the other paw, had her own silver tabby pelt, with a delicate look to her features that resembled her mother more. Love, fierce and strong, blazed in her chest at the sight of them. They were so tiny, but so perfect in every way.

A weak purr rumbled in her throat. Silverstream lowered her muzzle, running her tongue over their backs with strong, sure strokes. _Don't worry, my little darlings,_ she thought, the purr still rumbling in her throat as she groomed them. _I will always be here to protect you. You've lost your father, but I'm still here for you. I'll give you all the love that Graystripe will never be able to show you._

"Silverstream." The RiverClan queen looked up for a moment, meeting Bluestar's gaze. "I can't speak for the Clan's feelings, or for how your own Clan and leader will judge you once you return to RiverClan. What you and Graystripe did was against the warrior code – you understand this. But your punishment is not the concern of ThunderClan, and Graystripe has been punished enough by his death. We will honor him with a vigil tonight. You may stay for the vigil, and you and your kits are welcome to stay here until you're strong enough to return to RiverClan."

Silverstream was surprised by the leader's words. Graystripe had told her that Bluestar was a fair leader, but she was also known to be strict. She had expected more judgment or anger from the leader, at the very least. Her and Graystripe's relationship had broken the warrior code, and had cost Bluestar one of her warrior. But all she saw in the leader's gaze now was gentle understanding. Silverstream blinked a few times, still surprised, before lowering her head respectfully to the leader. "Thank you very much, Bluestar," she rasped. "I'm more grateful than I can say."

Bluestar said nothing, only giving a small nod in reply. She turned and padded out of the den, Cinderpaw following after. With a final, mournful glance at Silverstream's kits, Fireheart followed them.

A tense silence reigned in the nursery after the Warriors left. Speckletail was still refusing to look at Silverstream, and Brindleface was looking away awkwardly. The two gray kits by Brindleface's side were gazing curiously at Silverstream's kits. They looked nearly six moons old - Silverstream guessed they were due to be apprenticed soon. Silverstream ignored all of them, focusing on grooming her kits, and fighting back the grief that kept threatening to overwhelm her.

The silence was finally broken when Goldenflower spoke. "I'm so sorry about Graystripe." Silverstream looked up, meeting the golden tabby's gaze. Soft sympathy glowed in Goldenflower's eyes. "Whatever else happened, you and Graystripe didn't deserve that... and no kit deserves to lose their father."

Grief aches in Silverstream's heart, but she forced herself to give the queen a grateful nod. _Oh Graystripe,_ she thought as she lowered her muzzle onto her paws. _How am I going to do this without you?_

 **SCENEBREAK**

"Here, let me get that for you." Silverstream lowered her muzzle, rasping her tongue over a wound on Goldenflower's back. The golden tabby tensed at first, but soon relaxed as Silverstream helped clean her wound.

Goldenflower sighed as Silverstream drew back. "Thank you," she rasped. Grief still glowed in the she-cat's eyes, but she managed to spare Silverstream a grateful glance before padding back towards her nest and curling around her kits.

Silverstream felt a rush of sympathy for the older queen. The previous day, Brokentail's former Clanmates had attacked ThunderClan's camp. Silverstream had regained much of her strength in the days since her kits had been born, and had fought alongside the warriors of ThunderClan to defend her kits, and the other kits in the nursery. It hadn't been until the battle was over that the truth behind the attack had been revealed.

Every cat in ThunderClan had been stunned to learn that their trusted deputy Tigerclaw had invited the rogues to the camp as a distraction so he could murder Bluestar. Graystripe has always betrayed a dislike of his deputy, and Silverstream hadn't appreciated his stance on her halfClan kits, but she never would have guessed the true darkness in the tabby's heart, or her mate's role in trying to expose him. She felt sympathy for all of the warriors who had trusted Tigerclaw, but her heart ached the most for Goldenflower. The pain of losing Graystripe had been terrible, but at least she had the comfort of knowing that he had been a brave and noble warrior who would have died for his Clan. Goldenflower had to raise her kits knowing that their father was a murderer and a traitor.

Suddenly, voices sounded from outside the den, and a few growls could be heard. Silverstream perked her ears. After a few moments, Runningwind poked his head into the den. "A RiverClan patrol is here," he informed Silverstream in a gruff mew. "They've come to talk to you."

Silverstream took a moment to collect herself, then turned to Goldenflower. "Will you watch my kits?" she asked. At Goldenflower's nod, she pushed herself onto her paws, then followed Runningwind out of the den.

Most of ThunderClan was gathered outside of the dens when Silverstream left the nursery, glaring mistrustfully at the RiverClan patrol. Bluestar was already out of her den, still looking shaky after the reveal of Tigerclaw's treachery, but she stood strong in front of her Clan's visitors. The new deputy Fireheart stood beside her.

To Silverstream's surprise, her father Crookedstar was at the head of the visiting patrol. He met her gaze the moment she stepped out of the nursery, his green eyes shining with relief. Her best friend Mistyfoot was by his side. Loudbelly was on the patrol as well, his apprentice Silverpaw beside him, and Blackclaw stood behind them with narrowed eyes.

"Silverstream," Crookedstar rumbled. "It is good to see you again." He turned his gaze back to Bluestar. "I am grateful to you and your Clan for sheltering my daughter for so long," he told her. "But now I would like you to return her to me. She and her kits belong in RiverClan."

Before Bluestar could answer him, Silverstream approached, coming to stand before both leaders. "Wait." They both looked at her. "I've been thinking a lot the past few days."

Ever since Graystripe's death, Silverstream had been doing a lot of thinking. She knew that nothing would ever be the same, now that every cat knew about her and Graystripe. While she loved her family in RiverClan dearly, she knew that many cats would not forgive her for taking a mate outside of the Clan. Crookedstar would do everything he could to protect her, but he would not be RiverClan's leader forever. When he died, Leopardfur would be next in line to lead RiverClan, and Silverstream knew her loathing of halfClan cats and traitors all too well. She knew that her kits would always be judged for their blood as long as Leopardfur had power in RiverClan. She had thought for a long time, and she knew the choice that she had to make.

She met her father's gaze, looking him straight in the eyes as she mewed, "I won't be returning with you to RiverClan. I wish for my kits and I to join ThunderClan, to be with the Clan that Graystripe loved."

Crookedstar stared at her in stunned disbelief, and shock was glowing in the eyes of Bluestar and Fireheart. Silverstream knew her choice must be shocking to them. It wasn't an obvious choice – halfClan prejudice wasn't necessarily any less in ThunderClan, and these cats weren't any less likely to forgive her than the Clan that she had grown up with. But now that Tigerclaw was gone, the atmosphere in ThunderClan was changing, she could feel it already. Graystripe's best friend, and a former kittypet at that, was now ThunderClan deputy. Bluestar, despite her shock these last few days, was a fair and noble leader. With them in charge of the Clan, her kits had a better chance of being treated fairly than in RiverClan.

But this wasn't just for the benefit of her kits. Silverstream loved RiverClan dearly. Despite this choice, she knew that a part of her heart would always belong to the river. But another part of her heart would always belong to Graystripe. Her love for him had been stronger and fiercer than the borders that lay between them. She had betrayed her Clan to be with him, and she would never regret that choice. But something was broken now, between her and the Clan of her blood, since she had chosen Graystripe over them, something that couldn't be mended. She didn't know if it could be home for her anymore.

ThunderClan, on the other paw, felt like it could possibly be a home one day. She had only been there for a few days, but she already felt a connection with the Clan. Despite their misgivings of her, they had fought side by side with her like Clanmates to protect the nursery's inhabitants, her kits included. Even Speckletail, who still refused to talk to her, had fought like LionClan against a rogue that had tried to attack Silverstream's kits. These cats weren't just enemy warriors – they were Graystripe's family, the cats he had loved most. Silverstream couldn't ignore that she felt something for them just for hat reason.

This Clan had been deeply shaken by the revelation of Tigerclaw's treachery. With Bluestar seeming withdrawn in her leadership, and a deputy that hadn't been properly announced, the Clan would need a lot of help to recover from recent events. Silverstream felt a pull of loyalty to them, surprising to her in its strength, and a desire to help them rebuild from the losses they had suffered. She would raise her children in the Clan that their father had loved, and one day, they would know the same love for it that he had.

Crookedstar blinked at her, looking stunned and hurt by her decision. "I didn't expect..." he rasped, hurt shining in his eyes. He took a deep breath, then started again, his tone more composed now. "I never expected you to leave your Clan." Beside him, Mistyfoot was staring at Silverstream, hurt and anger blazing in her eyes. Silverstream could tell that she didn't understand her friend's decision.

Silverstream approached her father, something tightening in her chest. It pained her more than she cared to admit to abandon her father this way. She had never wanted to hurt him. But she needed him to respect her choice. "I'm sorry, father," she murmured. "I'll always love you. But this is something I have to do. For myself, and for my kits."

"You'd be welcome in RiverClan," Crookedstar whispered. "You'd be safe there, I'd make sure of it."

The she-cat shook her head. "It's not enough," she told him gently. "I know you'll do your best for my kits, but you're only one cat. And I want my kits to know the Clan that their father loved." She turned her gaze towards Mistyfoot, adding, "I will always love my friends and family in RiverClan. But this is where I belong now."

Crookedstar stared at her. He no longer looked like the noble leader she knew him as, but like a tom many times his age, older in his grief and in his loss. He took a shuddering breath, then drew himself up, forcing a stronger tone. "I wish you had made a different choice," he rumbled. "But you're a grown cat now, and you've always been strong enough to know your own heart. I respect your choice to leave my Clan. I wish you and your kits well in your new Clan." In a softer voice, so the other cats couldn't hear, he added, "And whatever happens, you will always be my daughter."

Silverstream lowered her voice as well, informing her father, "Graystripe came up with our daughter's name before he died. But I named our son after you. Stormkit and Featherkit will be raised in ThunderClan, but they will always carry a part of RiverClan with them – and a part of you." For a moment, fierce joy glowed in Crookedstar's eyes. Then he gave a brisk nod, and took a step back, returning to the ranks of his Clanmates.

Having gained his approval, Silverstream turned next to Bluestar. The she-cat still looked stunned by what was happening in front of her. Silverstream dipped her head respectfully, mewing, "With your permission, Bluestar, I would like my kits and I to join ThunderClan."

With Bluestar's decision made, Crookedstar bid them farewell, leading his patrol out of camp. Mistyfoot followed him without so much as glancing at Silverstream. Bluestar turned and started padding back to her den, suddenly looking drained. The crowd around camp began to disperse. Several cats were shooting Silverstream mistrusting glances, but most just padded away without a word. Silverstream ignored them all and headed straight towards Fireheart. The ginger tom was staring at her, shock still glowing in his green eyes.

"I know you've never liked me," she mewed bluntly. Surprise flickered in Fireheart's eyes, but he didn't argue her point. "I made Graystripe's loyalty to his Clan more complicated, and now he's dead because of me." Guilt twisted in her gut, but she forced herself to keep going, keeping her gaze level with Fireheart's. "But I loved him. I truly did, Fireheart. And I know you loved him too." Grief glowed in Fireheart's eyes. He gave a small nod, but said nothing.

Silverstream glanced briefly toward the nursery. "I'm scared for my kits, Fireheart," she admitted. "I don't want them to have to suffer for the choices that Graystripe and I made. I know you have a lot on your paws, now that you're deputy, and if you ever need my help you only have to ask. But I would like for my kits to know you - I think it's what Graystripe would have wanted."

Something softened in Fireheart's expression. He reached out his muzzle, touching his nose briefly to Silverstream's ear. "I would be honored," he murmured.

Silverstream closed her eyes, a purr escaping her. Grief for Graystripe still weighed heavy in her heart, but for the moment, she felt like things were going to be alright.

 **SCENEBREAK**

"Fireheart!"

The ginger tom looked up at Silverstream's call. He had been sharing a squirrel with Stormkit and Featherkit, but at Silverstream's call, he rose to his paws. "Sorry kits," he mewed. "I need to speak with your mother for a bit."

Stormkit bumped his muzzle against Fireheart's in a friendly gesture, while Featherkit curled her tail with a purr. "That's okay. I wanted to show Tawnykit that new fighting move anyway. Come on, Stormkit!" With an excited squeak, the silver tabby led her brother back towards the nursery, mewing brief greetings to their mother as they passed her.

Silverstream waited until her kits were out of earshot before starting. "What's this I hear about you wanting to mentor Bramblekit?" she asked, a sharp edge to her words.

Several moons had passed since Graystripe's death. Though Silverstream still missed the river and her family, she had settled in well in ThunderClan. She and Goldenflower had become fast friends despite the difference in age, united by the struggles of raising kits whose fathers were not entirely trusted. Mousefur had become a friend as well, as had Whitestorm and Cinderpelt. Even Sandstorm, who initially had seemed jealous of all the time Fireheart spent with Silverstream and her kits, had been won over by the stubbornness and fire Silverstream shared with her. Cats like Darkstripe and Dustpelt still seemed to look down on her, but overall, ThunderClan seemed to have gotten used to her being there.

Fireheart had been a big part of her settling into the Clan. The tom had become a surrogate father to Silverstream's kits, playing with them and guiding them the way that Graystripe no longer could, reaching them the ways of ThunderClan. Silverstream could tell that Stormkit and Featherkit adored him, and was more grateful than she could say for how he looked after them. He had been a great help to Silverstream as well. Though their stubbornness and opposing views kept them from being close friends, a mutual respect had sprung up between the two cats. Fireheart had helped teach Silverstream how to hunt and fight like a ThunderClan cat, and in turn Silverstream had done her best to help him with his deputy duties. She had a stubbornness to match Fireheart's, and was unafraid of telling him when she thought he was making the wrong choice, which she knew he valued.

At the moment, however, he mostly looked annoyed. "What's wring with that?" he asked, giving a lash if his tail. "I don't have an apprentice now that Cloudtail is a warrior. Why shouldn't I mentor Bramblekit?"

"Because you don't like him," Silverstream shot back. "You always have been a mousebrain when it comes to Tigerstar's kits." Fireheart's eyes narrowed in irritation, but Silverstream ignored him. "Bramblekit hasn't done anything to deserve a mentor who can't stand him."

"I never said I can't stand him," Fireheart protested. "I just want to be able to keep an eye on him."

Silverstream challenged, "Why? Because he's Tigerstar's son? You don't glare a Tawnykit the same way when you see her, and she's his daughter. Is it because he looks like his father?" Fireheart's stubborn silence told Silverstream all that she needed to know. She gave a humorless laugh, lashing her tail. "Oh, that's it, isn't it? Well isn't that just rich. The kittypet who was so desperate to prove that where he came from doesn't determine his worth is judging an innocent kit for who his father is. I never took you for such a hypocrite, Fireheart."

The ginger tom let out a growl. "I don't need you to remind me what it took to prove my loyalty, Silverstream," he said in a warning tone.

"Clearly you do, if you're willing to put Bramblekit through the same thing," Silverstream snapped. "Goldenflower's my friend, and Bramblekit and Tawnykit are good kits. I won't let you make them feel like traitors for something they have no control over. If you mentor Bramblekit, you'll just treat him like his father the whole time. How exactly is treating an innocent cat like a traitor supposed to inspire him to want to be loyal to his Clan, if every cat treats him like a fox for no reason?"

Fireheart's hackles were bristling, his tail leashing. He was clearly having to fight to hold back his anger at this point. "And what do you propose I do instead?" he growled out through gritted teeth. "Let him go unsupervised while some unprepared mentor has to deal with Darkstripe and Tigerstar whispering in his ear? Or better yet, just give him to Darkstripe to train and be done with it?"

"No, you mousebrain," Silverstream snorted. "Let me train him."

For a moment, Fireheart seemed to forget his anger entirely in his surprise. "You?" he repeated.

"Yes. Make Stormkit your apprentice - I know you'd like to train him - and let me train Bramblekit. You've taught me enough about ThunderClan hunting and fighting for me to be able to train an apprentice." She gave the deputy a hard look. "You know me, Fireheart. I'll be hard on Bramblekit when he needs it, and I won't let Darkstripe anywhere near him. But unlike you, I can do all of that without treating him like some cat's hairball that someone left out."

For a moment, Fireheart hesitated. "Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked. "You've never had an apprentice before. And Tigerstar's going to try and get his kits back, you can be sure of that."

"I can handle it," she promised him. "I want to give Bramblekit the chance to prove that he's not his father, and I don't know if you can give him that. But I can." She lifted her chin. "I want to train him."

Fireheart was silent for several moments. His green gaze was critical as it scanned her face, the tom apparently measuring her words. Finally, he looked away with a sign. "Fine," he growled. "Maybe you're right. I don't like it, but I can't deny I'm biased when it comes to Bramblekit." He turned a sharp gaze on Silverstream, mewing, "You can train Bramblekit. But I'll be keeping a close eye on his progress."

"That's fine," Silverstream said. "But I won't let you harass my apprentice unfairly."

Fireheart snorted, almost looking amused. "Fine."

 **SCENEBREAK**

"Nice catch, Bramblepaw!"

The dark tabby looked up with a purr. A scrawny robin lay at his paws. "Thanks!" he mewed. He bumped his muzzle against Silverstream's when she reached his side, Whitestorm, Sandstorm, and Featherpaw not far behind her.

"Well done, Bramblepaw," Whitestorm rumbled. The white tom was starting to look his age more these days, but he was as calm and encouraging as ever as he told Bramblepaw, "The elders will be glad for a catch like that now that leafbare is here." Bramblepaw gave a nod, pride shining in his eyes as he padded off to bury his robin.

ThunderClan had seen many changes in the last few moons. After moons of poor leadership, lost to her own paranoia, Bluestar had lost her last life defending her Clan from a pack of vicious dogs. With her dying breath, she had finally revealed the truth - that she had been the birth mother of Mistyfoot and Stonefur. Silverstream had been shocked to learn the truth of her best friend's parentage, and she had wished more than ever that she could be with her in RiverClan to help her through this. But she had chosen her path, and her loyalty lay with ThunderClan now.

Fireheart had since become Firestar, the new leader of ThunderClan, and had chosen Whitestorm as his new deputy. Stormpaw was still his apprentice, and Sandstorm worked beside him as Featherpaw's mentor. The ginger she-cat clearly enjoyed her role as a mentor. She worked hard with the little tabby each day, and from how Featherpaw talked about their training, Silverstream's daughter clearly admired her mentor a lot.

"Yeah, you've turned him into quite the hunter, Silverstream," Sandstorm mewed. She gave the silver tabby a friendly nudge with her shoulder. "You're not so bad at this whole mentoring thing." Whitestorm blinked at Silverstream, purring his agreement.

"You're not so bad yourself," Silverstream teased her friend. Featherpaw gazed up at her mentor, giving a proud purr.

As Sandstorm purred, Whitestorm flicked his tail. "Come on, we should get our prey and head back. Firestar will be wondering where we've got to."

Bramblepaw moved to follow Whitestorm, but Silverstream stopped him with a brief flick of her tail. "Actually, Whitestorm, there's something else I wanted to work on with Bramblepaw before we finished for the day. We'll catch up with you later." Whitestorm watches her curiously for a moment, then shrugged. He turned and led Sandstorm and Featherpaw away through the undergrowth.

Once they were gone, Bramblepaw turned curiously to Silverstream. "What are we going to work on?" he asked.

"Well, I heard the other day that the nearby stream hasn't frozen over yet," Silverstream revealed as she started leading her apprentice away. "I figured we could work on some swimming, and maybe even teach you a thing or two about how to fish."

Bramblepaw paused, causing Silverstream to halt. His eyes glowed with sudden confusion. "Swimming? But ThunderClan cats don't swim," he protested.

Silverstream's whiskers twitched. "No, but there's no point in not learning how," she pointed out. "You never know when something like the fire might happen and you'll have to swim to survive. I don't need my apprentice drowning on my watch because I didn't take the time to teach him how to swim."

Confusion still gleamed in his eyes. "But Firestar says that the divisions between Clans are what keep us loyal," he mewed slowly. "Should I really be learning RiverClan moves?"

Silverstream sobered. She knew why Firestar would be particular about wanting Bramblepaw to focus on loyalty to ThunderClan above all else. It didn't make him badgering Bramblepaw about it any less irritating, however. "Clan loyalty is important," she said slowly, meeting Bramblepaw's gaze. "But it's not the only thing that matters. There is much we can learn from other cats and the way they live. The Clans may stand apart, but we can still learn from each other and help each other to survive. That doesn't make us traitors." She gave a small purr. "What matters most is being kind, and doing what's right, not just what the warrior code tells us. Our strength as a Clan only matters as much as we use it to defend our weakest cats, and defending the life and choices of a good cat matters more than abiding by rules. Do you understand?"

Bramblepaw held his mentor's gaze for several moments, his expression unreadable. Then he dipped his head to her. "I understand," he rumbled.

"Good," Silverstream mewed, her tone brighter. She nudged him with one paw, teasing, "Now come on. Time to go jump in some freezing leafbare water!" Bramblepaw groaned in protest as Silverstream led him away, but she got the sense that it was more for effect than anything. _He's going to make a great warrior one day,_ she thought proudly.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Silverstream panted, her legs trembling under her, and her wounds burning like fire. She could still taste the blood of rogues and traitors on her tongue as the battle died down around her. It was over.

A few days ago, Tigerstar had tried to force all four Clans to join together under his rule. He'd had Stonefur killed on his orders for being halfClan, but luckily Silverstream had convinced Firestar to go with her to check on Mistyfoot, and they had been able to save her from Tigerstar's grasp. The treacherous leader had allied himself with a bunch of vicious twolegplace rogues called BloodClan to frighten the Clans into following him, but he had paid the price when BloodClan leader Scourge had killed him. One blow from the vicious tom's claws had torn all nine lives from Tigerstar. Silverstream had hated him for the threat he'd posed to her family and her Clan, but it had still be horrifying to watch him die nine times in agony.

After that, all four Clans had banded together to drive out BloodClan. Darkstripe had fought beside BloodClan, as had a few other traitors. Silverstream had killed him to protect Firestar, when the tom had attacked him. A cold sense of satisfaction had filled her at the deed. Graystripe's killer was dead by her paw. He could never hurt her or her family again.

She had checked on her kits immediately after the battle. Stormpaw and Featherpaw both bore marks from the battle, but neither had been seriously injured. After the BloodClan deputy Bone had killed Whitestorm, they had banded together with Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw to kill him in revenge. Silverstream was especially proud of how her apprentice had handled himself the last few days. He had openly defied his father's request to join his side, declaring his loyalty to ThunderClan and to the warrior code, and had fought bravely against BloodClan in the battle today.

As Silverstream started cleaning her wounds, Mistyfoot limped toward her. Silverstream gave her a small nod. She had already learned that Mistyfoot had accepted Leopardstar's offer to return to RiverClan as the new deputy. "Hey," Mistyfoot mewed quietly. "You fought well today."

"You too," Silverstream mewed.

Mistyfoot hesitated. "I wanted to thank you," she rasped finally. "If you hadn't come to check on me, Tigerstar would have killed me too."

Silverstream's ears flew forward in surprise. "Of course!" she mewed. "I would never have left you to get hurt by that monster." She felt a pang of grief, adding, "I only wish we could have saved Stonefur too."

Grief flashed in the new deputy's eyes, but after a moment, it faded. She sighed. "I'm sorry for being angry about you leaving RiverClan, before," she mewed. "I didn't understand. But now I see, you're the only one who can decide where you belong. ThunderClan has been very kind to me, and I'll never forget what happened to Stonefur. But RiverClan is where I belong.

"I understand," Silverstream murmured. She reached out and brushed her muzzle against Mistyfoot's, purring, "But no matter what happens, we'll always be best friends."

Mistyfoot only hesitated for a moment. Then, she leaned into Silverstream's touch, purring. "Always," she murmured. She pulled back, blinking briefly at a Silverstream, before turning and padding away. Leopardstar approached Mistyfoot from the crowd, glancing at Silverstream as she padded past her. Silverstream looked pointedly away. Mistyfoot might be willing to put what Leopardstar let happen to Stonefur behind her, but Silverstream wasn't so willing to forgive.

"Silverstream." The tabby looked up at the call of her leader. Firestar was standing a few paces away, looking tired, but proud. "I need to speak with you." Silverstream perked her ears curiously. She let Firestar lead her away from the battle-weary crowd, the two cats settling some paces away next to a clump of ferns.

"Are you alright?" the she-cat asked in a tone of concern. The battle to kill Scourge and drive out BloodClan had cost Firestar one of his lives. He still seemed drained by the loss of his life. There was a weary glaze to his eyes, and his tail was trembling.

Firestar gave a small nod. "I'm fine," he told her. "But there's something serious I need to ask you." He glanced back towards the battleground, grief glowing in his eyes. "With Whitestorm dead, the Clan needs a new deputy," he rasped. He turned his gaze back towards Silverstream. "I'll announce this properly to the Clan when we get back to camp. But I figured you should be the first to know. Silverstream, I want you to be my new deputy."

Silverstream froze in shock. "Me?" she squeaked, surprise making her new kit-like in pitch. She had lived with ThunderClan for some moons now, but she had never expected an honor like this, a mark of so fully belonging to this Clan. "But... why me?" _Is he just choosing me because Graystripe isn't here for him to choose?_ a small part of her wondered.

Firestar's gaze softened as it met hers. "Because you've always pushed me to be better," he mewed honestly. "You've never been afraid to tell me exactly what you think of my choices for this Clan. I need a deputy who isn't afraid to speak her mind, who won't just go along with decisions she doesn't agree with, and who will lay down her life defending what she knows to be right. You're that cat, Silverstream. You always have been." He lowered his muzzle a little, his gaze searching hers. "So will you do it?"

Silverstream hesitated. Part of her wondered if she was really ready for the responsibility of being deputy. She had seen the pressures that leadership brings through watching Crookedstar and Firestar struggle through it. But she also knew that what she desired more than anything was the well-being of the Clan that had helped raise and love her kits. Loyalty to them burned fierce in her gut. She would always put her morals before any Clan, and she still held love for RiverClan in her heart, but her loyalty was truly to ThunderClan now. She would live and die for them, and if Firestar felt that she would serve them best by being their deputy, then that was what she would do.

"Very well," she told Firestar, meeting his gaze proudly. "I will be your deputy."

* * *

This is the first part of a contest entry I wrote for a contest being run on BlogClan, Kate Cary's personal blog. The contest, run by BlogClan user Sundance, is about rewriting a scene from Warriors with a new twist. I decided to go with the idea "What if Graystripe had died instead of Silverstream?" The piece ended up being so long that I had to split it into two. I have a longer description written for the second part, which will explain my thoughts and reasoning for this story.


	2. Part Two

The Diverted Stream: Part Two  
A Contest Entry

 _Great StarClan, I've never met such a fierce kittypet!_

Silverstream felt her pelt starting to tremble. She had been trying to find her way out of twolegplace for what felt like ages, but there seemed to be no end to the sea of twoleg nests and their fences. Even worse, she'd found herself in a fight with a territorial kittypet, and to her humiliation, he'd chased her off with her tail between her legs. _Some great warrior I am!_

Several seasons had passed since Silverstream had been made ThunderClan's deputy. Her kits had since become full warriors of ThunderClan, and her apprentice Brambleclaw had not only become a warrior, but had been chosen to be a part of a prophecy from StarClan. He, Tawnypelt of ShadowClan, Crowpaw of WindClan, and Hawkfrost of RiverClan, had been chosen to journey to the far off sun-drown place to receive StarClan's message to the Clans. What they, and their tag-along Squirrelpaw, had learned had been devastating - the Clans has to leave the forest to escape the destruction the twolegs would cause.

Brambleclaw and his fellow chosen cats had returned to the Clans some time ago. Hawkfrost had returned with a bad limp in one leg - apparently, they had run into a group of cats called the Tribe, who had been told by their ancestors that they would be saved from a massive beast called Sharptooth by a dark tabby. At first, they had thought that Brambleclaw was that tabby, and had imprisoned him. But it had ultimately been Hawkfrost that their prophecy referred to. He had indeed saved them from Sharptooth, but the fall that had killed Sharptooth had also badly crippled Hawkfrost's hind leg. He was clearly bitter over his injury, but he also seemed to have matured from the arrogant, ambitious tom she had met at previous Gatherings. Apparently he and Crowpaw had formed an affinity on the journey that had curbed both toms' tempers, and Brambleclaw had formed a close bond with the tom he'd been surprised to learn was his half brother.

Silverstream had done her best to keep her Clan safe in the moons since the twolegs had started destroying the forest. She had lived through much as ThunderClan's deputy. She had led the Clan in Firestar's stead when he and Sandstorm had left to restore the lost Clan, and she had been the one to lead the Clans in battle against the foxes at Fourtrees. But the losses of the last moons had been a strain on the Clan that Silverstream feared they may not recover from

The worst had come when the twolegs had started stealing cats from the forest. Firestar's daughter Leafpaw had been among them, as well as her son Stormfur. Squirrelpaw had managed to learn where the stolen cats were being kept, and Silverstream had led a patrol to rescue them. But while trying to free the last cat from her cage, Silverstream herself had been captured. For moons now, she had been forced to live as a kittypet, the captive prisoner of a twoleg family. She had left that morning to try to escape, only to discover that not only had she lost all sense of direction, but apparently she'd lost all of her warrior skill as well. Was this all that was left for her? A nightmare world of twoleg sand fences that she could never escape, and the loss of her warrior pride as she was forced to live the rest of her days as a lazy, pointless kittypet?

"I wouldn't feel bad if I were you. Nobody's ever won a fight against Duke." Silverstream nearly jumped out of her pelt. She looked up, surprised to see a gray tabby she-cat lounging on a tree branch above her head, gazing at her with friendly blue eyes. The she-cat's pelt was sleek and soft, the black jeweled collar on her neck revealing her as a kittypet. "I'm Millie," the she-cat said in a friendly mew. She hopped down from the tree, the tag on her collar clinking softly as she came to stand before the deputy. "What's your name?"

Silverstream blinked, slightly taken aback by the friendly greeting. "Uh, Silverstream," she answered after a pause.

"I've seen you around that house with the little boy and girl," Millie mewed, glancing over Silverstream curiously. "You're new in the neighborhood, aren't you Silverstream?"

Silverstream fought the urge to spit that she wasn't part of the neighborhood, that she had no desire to be here, that she was a prisoner. It wasn't this kittypet's fault that the twolegs had captured her, and she seemed nice enough. It wouldn't be fair for Silverstream to take her anger out on her. "I am," she admitted. "I was, uh, brought here recently."

"I thought as much," Millie purred. "You don't have the neighborhood scent yet, and you look a bit lost." She gave a quick flick of her tail. "I haven't spotted you this far from your house before. Do you know how to get back to it?"

 _StarClan, no, don't take me back to that place!_ Silverstream had to fight to keep back a hiss at the thought of being led back to the twolegs who were keeping her from her Clan. But all that she managed to say was, "I, uh..." as she tried to find the words to explain her panic.

Millie didn't seem to sense her inner turmoil at the mention of her twolegs. "That's fine, then. I'll show you the way," she purred, flicking her tail against Silverstream's flank. "Come on, follow me!"

Panic and stubbornness kept Silverstream pinned to the spot for a few moments. More than anything, she never wanted to be stuck in that twoleg nest again. But finally, she admitted defeat, letting the kittypet lead her forward. She was too lost to find her way out of twolegplace. Where else could she go?

Embarrassment burned under Silverstream's pelt as Millie led her expertly through the winding paths and fences of twolegplace. She was supposed to be a warrior, able to find her way through the densest undergrowth and darkest nights, but now she was so lost that she had to rely on a kittypet to find her way. But she had to admit, even as bad as she felt, there was something about Millie that she liked. She was the first cat who had been friendly to Silverstream since her arrival in twolegplace, and she had a spunkiness and cheer about her that Silverstream liked.

As long as she was stuck in this place, it couldn't hurt to have a friend like Millie around.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Silver shafts of moonlight spilled down onto the forest floor, turning the tips of Millie's gray fur to white. Silverstream was mesmerized by the sight, momentarily struck dumb by the beauty of the cat in front of her.

When Silverstream had finally made her escape from twolegplace, she had asked Millie to join her, spurred on by a dream and a suggestion from her beloved Graystripe. At first, Millie had refused, but she had changed her mind and had caught up with Silverstream just as the badly-lost warrior was dying of thirst. Since then, Millie had been Silverstream's faithful traveling companion, helping the warrior find her way back to her Clan. The forest had been abandoned by the time they'd reached it, so instead they tried to track down the Clans' new home, following what little information Ravenpaw and Barley had been able to give them when they'd visited their barn. And now, finally they had done it. The two she-cats were on a slope, overlooking a lake that Silverstream knew in her heart to be the new home of the Clans. She even thought she could see cats moving on an island down on the lake below. After so many moons, she was finally home.

They were just about to descend down to the island, but Silverstream called Millie back with a soft mew. "Wait, Millie," she murmured. "There's something I need to talk to you about, before we see my Clan."

Millie gazed curiously back at Silverstream, her mood sobering as she took in Silverstream's expression. "Uh-oh, this looks serious," she murmured, her blue eyes glowing with curiosity. "What is it?"

Silverstream hesitated. When she had first met Millie, the kittypet's friendliness and bold curiosity had intrigued her. She had been surprised when Millie had asked to be trained like a warrior. She'd figured the kittypet would give up interest quickly, but she had surprised Silverstream by displaying the dedication and focus of any warrior apprentice. Since then, she had proved her courage and her loyalty through her travels with Silverstream. They had butted heads occasionally, and Millie had proved herself as stubborn as Silverstream, but she had fought beside Silverstream as fiercely as any warrior, and had pushed Silverstream to believe that the Clans were still alive somewhere. Her optimism and her trust in Silverstream had been what had kept the deputy going these past few moons.

But it wasn't just gratefulness or friendship that Silverstream felt for the tabby. Ever since they had started traveling together, Silverstream had been grappling with the confusing emotions she felt for her traveling companion. She had never examined her romantic inclinations towards the genders very closely; she had never fallen in love before meeting Graystripe, and after his death she had shunned any thought of taking another mate. But she could no longer lie to herself about how Millie's soft pelt made her pelt feel warm when it brushed against her own, or how meeting her soft blue gaze made her heart beat faster.

It wasn't just physical attraction either, which was what scared Silverstream the most. She had never wanted to fall in love again after losing Graystripe. The goofy, brave tom has been her entire world. Taking another mate after losing him would feel like a betrayal of their love. But Graystripe himself had been the one to suggest Silverstream take Millie on her journey, and as badly as she had resisted the thought of taking a mate again, deep in her heart she knew that Graystripe would understand. He was dead, and she was still alive, and she had to find a life among the living. Admitting the truth of how she felt about Millie didn't mean she loved Graystripe any less. It just meant she still had a life to live, and she didn't want to let the dead hold her back.

Silverstream took a deep breath, feeling a flutter in her chest when she met Millie's soft gaze. She had to take a moment to collect herself before she could begin. "Listen, when I lost Graystripe, I fell apart," she murmured. "He was everything to me. If it weren't for my kits, I might have let myself be destroyed by grief, but they pulled me out of it. I had to keep it together for them, and for my new Clan. I kept living, but part of myself was still living in that grief." She took another deep breath, before admitting, "Until I met you."

Surprise flared in Millie's eyes, but also something else, something deeper and warmer than what Silverstream had seen there before. "You made me feel hope again, Millie," Silverstream rasped. "You made me feel alive, in a way I haven't felt in seasons. You're brave and you're kind, and you make me a better cat. I never would have found the courage to try and find my Clan again if it weren't for you. I'm here now because of you. And... I love you, Millie." The former kittypet took in a sharp breath, eyes growing wide. "I've loved you for a long time. And when we find ThunderClan tonight, I would like to have you side by side, as my mate."

Millie was silent for several moments. Silverstream began to feel worried that she had said the wrong thing, that Millie didn't feel the same way, that she would decide to leave...

"Oh, Silverstream." Love and joy were blazing in Millie's eyes, a purr rumbling in her throat. "To be with you... it's all I've wanted since I first laid eyes on you."

Silverstream's breath caught. Something tightened in her chest, a fierce feeling of joy flooding through her pelt. To hear that Millie felt the same way, to have her feelings returned so freely, without reservation...

Millie moved closer to Silverstream, brushing her muzzle slowly against Silverstream's. The simple touch broke the tabby out of her shock. She closed her eyes, purring fiercely as she leaned into the touch of her new mate. The two she-cats stayed like that for several moments, just taking joy in the presence of the other. Soon, they would make their way to the island, and Silverstream would finally be reunited with the Clan she loved. Soon, she would be able to resume her life as deputy of ThunderClan, with Millie and the rest of her family at her side.

But for now, this moment belonged only to them.

 **SCENEBREAK**

"They're beautiful, mother."

Silverstream purred, brushing her muzzle against Feathertail's. "Thank you, dear," she murmured.

A single, tiny kit lay wriggling by Silverstream's side. Millie, who lay in the nest next to her, had two kits nursing at her side. They had been born only days apart, and though only one was Silverstream's by birth, she felt a fierce, surging love for all three of them.

Several moons had passed since Silverstream and Millie had returned to ThunderClan. Those moons had seen several changes for the Clans. Silverstream was no longer deputy of ThunderClan. Her former deputy Brambleclaw had been chosen as deputy when the Clan thought she'd been lost forever. When she'd returned to the Clan, Firestar had chosen to allow Brambleclaw to remain deputy. Silverstream had assured him that there were no hard feelings on the matter. Brambleclaw knew the new territory better than she did, and was clearly dedicated to his role and his family. As long as a Firestar still valued her advice, and as long as she could still serve her Clan as a strong warrior, that was good enough for her.

She was proud of her old apprentice for his new role in the Clan, and for how dedicated a father he had become. His mate Squirrelflight had given birth to two sons and a daughter in the moons since Silverstream had been gone. Feathertail had told her that Squirrelflight's birthing had been long and dangerous, but that she had pulled out of it fine, and Jaykit, Lionkit, and Hollykit had been born healthy.

Those weren't the only changes The a Clans had seen. Tallstar of WindClan had died, and had named Onewhisker his new deputy before his death. Mudclaw had enacted a rebellion with some ShadowClan allies, chasing off Onewhisker and subduing his allies. A tree had been struck down by lightning, bridging the gap between the shire and the Gathering island, which was seen by many as a sign of StarClan's approval of Mudclaw's leadership. Mudstar had been accepted as WindClan's new leader, naming Tornear as his deputy, and a disgraced Onewhisker had joined ThunderClan as a warrior, as his own Clan would no longer accept him.

Silverstream knew that Firestar was wary of the aggressive new leader, but Mudstar has wisely chosen one of Onewhisker's old supporters as his deputy, to assure his Clan that he cared about their opinions, and the level-headed Tornear seemed to be doing well at suppressing his leader's more aggressive tendencies. His Clan was still weak from the rebellion, and he had lost one of his warriors a few moons after that. The newly-named Crowblaze had left WindClan behind to join his mate Hawkfrost in RiverClan. The crippled tom had learned to fish and swim despite his injury, and he seemed much happier now that his mate was in his Clan with him

The biggest change for Silverstream was the loss of her son. Stormfur had left ThunderClan behind some moons ago to be with Brook, the Tribe she-cat he had fallen in love with during the Clans' stay in the mountains. They had been exiled for some time after rogues started attacking the Tribe, but a few moons ago they had returned to help the Tribe fend the rogues off, and Stormfur had been allowed to join them once again. As sad as Silverstream was to see her son leave, she respected his right to follow was heart, and was glad to see her restless son finally discover where he belonged. Feathertail, however, had remained in ThunderClan, and had been the first to visit the nursery to meet her new half-siblings.

Silverstream rasped her tongue down her new son's back, purring. "I wish your brother could have met them," she murmured.

"Me too," Feathertail mewed. "But at least he's happy with Brook in the mountains." She lowered into a crouch, nuzzling the tiny kit gently. "Hello, little brother," she breathed.

A few moons ago, Millie and Silverstream had decided they were ready to start a family of their own. They had worried about how to manage that for a time, until Thornclaw had admitted to them his lack of desire for a family of his own, and had volunteered to father kits for them to raise. The tom had no interest in raising kits himself, and was more than happy to provide kits for the she-cats to raise themselves. They had accepted his offer, and now they were both nursing the kits that Thornclaw had helped them to have.

"Have you decided on names for them yet?" Feathertail asked.

Millie nodded. "The pale tabby with the dark stripes is Willowkit, for her pale fur and for the trees in our forest," she explained. "And the golden-brown she-cat is Pondkit, for the pond where your mother saved a twoleg kit on our journey." Feathertail blinked curiously at Millie, causing her to twitch her whiskers in amusement. "I'll tell you about it another time. It's one of my favorite memories of her." Silverstream purred, brushing her muzzle against Millie's.

Feathertail was purring too, blinking softly at her new siblings. "What about the tom?" she asked.

Silverstream gazed down at the light gray tabby tom at her belly, purring. "I've named him Ripplekit," she told her daughter. She had named her son in honor of her old Clan, and after the various ripples and changes in her life that had led to the life of this young tom.

"Pondkit, Ripplekit, and Willowkit," Feathertail repeated, curling her tail. "They're wonderful names."

Silverstream rasped her tongue over Ripplekit's back, purring deeply. _Millie and I will always be here to love you, my dears,_ she thought. _And somewhere, Graystripe is watching over us._ The tabby hadn't felt so happy, and so at peace, in many seasons.

 **SCENEBREAK**

"Millie, we need to talk."

The gray tabby finally looked away from the retreating warriors, meeting Silverstream's gaze. "Alright," she mewed, her tone distracted. "But I want to check on Pondflower soon. Jayfeather should be running her through her exercises soon."

Silverstream sighed. "That's exactly what we need to talk about," she informed her mate.

Shortly before their kits were due to become warriors, a tree had fallen into camp during a storm. The fall had killed the elder Longtail, and had broken Pondpaw's spine. Her mentor Hollyleaf had been horrified by the apprentice's injury, and Millie and Silverstream had both been devastated. Firestar had given Ripplestream, Willowstripe, and Pondflower their warrior names, but it was understood by all the Clan that Pondflower would never be a warrior in the fullest sense of the word. Her back legs had been rendered permanently unusable by her broken spine. The she-cat lived in the medicine den now, spending her days exercising to stave off chest infections, and helping the medicine cats organize their stores of herbs.

"What about it?" Millie asked.

Silverstream took a step towards her mate, mewing, "I know you're afraid for Pondflower. I'm afraid for her too. But you're becoming obsessed, Millie. You're spending all of your time in the medicine den these days. You don't give Pondflower any space, even when she asks us to back off."

Millie pulled her ears back, looking annoyed. "Pondflower needs to be looked after," she reminded Silverstream sharply. "If she doesn't keep up her strength properly, she could get sick. Our daughter could die, Silverstream!"

Fear twisted in Silverstream's gut at the thought, but she forced herself to keep her voice even. "I know," she said slowly. "But Pondflower has two very talented medicine cats looking after her. She's also a fully-grown cat - she hardly wants her mothers hanging around her paws like she's a kit who can't look after herself." Pondflower was a gentle sort of cat, but she had her mothers' sense of stubbornness and pride. Silverstream knew how degrading Pondflower found being looked after like a helpless kit. Her pleas to Millie to back off and let her handle herself a bit more were falling on deaf ears, however.

"I'm sure she doesn't want to do exercises every day and eat foul-tasting herbs," Millie growled. "But what she needs to survive is a little more important than what she wants right now."

Silverstream felt her hackles starting to rise. "And what about what Willowstripe and Ripplestream need?" she shot back. "You've hardly spoken two words since Pondflower got injured, except to yell at them." Millie had indeed just finished yelling at Willowstripe, who had stayed away from camp longer than she'd been supposed to. The she-cat had the fiery disposition and stubbornness of Silverstream, and had gotten into several rows with Millie already about her treatment of her and her brother. Ripplestream was quieter than his sisters, and a clever hunter and fighter. He was never great at talking to other cats, and seemed especially hurt by his mother's negligence.

Millie gave a dismissive flick of her tail. "They're warriors now," she reminded Silverstream. "They can take care of themselves."

"Just because they're warriors doesn't mean they don't need us anymore!" Silverstream snapped. "We're their mothers! Grown cats or not, we're supposed to always be there for them, and always love and support them. When's the last time you actually told Ripplestream you loved him, instead of yowling at him?"

Millie actually looked taken aback. "I..." she stammered.

"Or asked Willowstripe about her bad dreams?" Silverstream pressed. "She's been tossing and turning in her sleep for a moon now, but you've been too wrapped up in fussing over Pondflower to notice!" She took a step towards Millie, snarling, "I know you're scared for Pondflower, but we still have a duty to our other kits. And I'm scared for them, Millie. They need us, and you're never there for them anymore. You can't abandon them just because you're afraid."

Millie was starting to shake now, raw fear and grief blazing in her eyes. She seemed to have been struck hard by her mate's accusations. Gone was the defensive she-cat from before - now, she was letting her true fear show. "I'm scared, Silverstream," she rasped, her entire pelt trembling. "I'm so scared. I can't lose my daughter. I can't. She's so young."

Silverstream's expression softened. Despite the difficulties of the last few moons, despite everything, Millie was still the cat Silverstream loved dearly. "Come here," she murmured. She laid a paw over Millie's shoulder, pulling her close in a tight embrace, nuzzling her muzzle against Millie's neck. Millie's whole body was shaking with sobs now. Silverstream held her tight, shushing her softly as she tried to soothe her.

After what felt like moons, Millie pulled back, her expression vulnerable as she gazed at Silverstream. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I... I think you're right. I've been a bad mother to my kits.

Silverstream gave Millie a gentle lick between her ears, purring softly. "You haven't been a bad mother," she murmured. "You just forgot to listen to them. But it's not too late. We can still fix things." Millie took a deep breath, then gave a small nod, looking more determined. Silverstream helped her mate to her paws. "Come on. Let's catch up with Willowstripe - I think you two should talk."

With a flick of her tail, Silverstream began leading her mate away.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Grief ached in Silverstream's heart, and her wounds burned like fire. This battle had cost her more than she had ever wanted it to. But it was over, and they had won.

It had been a shock to every cat when Firestar had announced that the spirits of the Dark Forest, the Clan cats who weren't accepted into StarClan after death, were coming back to attack them all. Even more shocking had been the revelation that their living Clanmates were being trained by those murderous spirits in their dreams, and that her daughter Willowstripe was among them. She had been lured there by the promise of being made into a stronger fighter, and to be able to show up the mother who'd seemed to think so little of her. But after Millie had apologized for how she'd been treating her, Willowstripe had started to see the Dark Forest for how cruel they truly were. She, along with Ivypool, had turned spy for the Clans.

The battle had been a vicious, grueling ordeal. Silverstream had seen many familiar faces in the sea of attacking traitors. Brokenstar had been there, as had Ashfur, who had been killed by Lionblaze after he'd tried to burn Squirrelflight's kits alive in front of her, to punish her for breaking up with him. An already-injured Squirrelflight had attacked him, distracting him just long enough for her kits to escape the flames Lionblaze had attacked Ashfur in a rage the moment they'd been free of the flames, but it had been too late for Squirrelflight, who had perished from her wounds. Brambleclaw had worked together with the spirit of his mate to kill Ashfur a second time during the battle.

Darkstripe had been there too. Silverstream had spotted her hated enemy during the battle, and had been shocked to realize that he had an injured Willowstripe cornered and was about to kill her. She moved to defend her daughter, but Feathertail had been faster. She'd leaped between the two cats, taking the death blow meant for her adopted sister, crumpling instantly after Darkstripe's claws struck her throat. Silverstream had rushes to Feathertail's side, while Millie had come out of nowhere and attacked Darkstripe in a rage, killing him in revenge for Feathertail. Silverstream had tried desperately to rouse her daughter, but it had been too late. Feathertail was dead.

The battle had cost multiple cats their lives. Ferncloud had been struck down by Brokenstar, and Mousefur had died a warrior's death, fighting beside the spirit of Longtail. Onewhisker was dead too, killed defending Mudstar from Dark Forest. The leader had mellowed considerably in recent seasons, after his aggressive nature had cost him a few lives, and he seemed truly surprised and regretful that Onewhisker was willing to die for him after everything that had happened.

The last cat to die had been Firestar. The noble leader had laid down his final life to save the Clans from Tigerstar's fury forever. Silverstream gazed sadly down at his motionless body, laid out not that far from Feathertail's. The tom had never seem completely eye to eye with her, but she had respected and cared for him a lot. ThunderClan had lost a great leader tonight.

Her other kits were nearby, standing over Feathertail's body with stunned expression. Willowstripe was shaking, guilt blazing in her eyes, but Millie pressed against her side and mewed to her in a low voice, clearly trying to soothe her guilt.

The cats of ThunderClan were not alone in their camp. The stone hollow was filled with rank upon rank of starry spirits. Warriors of StarClan had fought beside their living Clanmates during the battle, and now, they looked over the dead with soft expressions. Nine cats left behind the ranks of StarClan, coming to stand in front of Firestar's body. Jayfeather waved his tail towards them, explaining, "These are the cats who gave Firestar his nine lives."

Silverstream was no longer listening. She only had eyes for one spirit.

She had not seen the big gray tom so clearly since his death. He was as tall and powerful and sleek as she had always remembered, his pelt blazing with starlight, and his yellow eyes gleaming with joy and with love for her. Millie had left their kits behind, coming to stand beside her mate. She seemed to have guessed what was happening. "Is that...?"

"Graystripe," Silverstream rasped. Grief and joy and love battled within her at the sight of the tom. Her heart ached with love for him, and for all that they had lost. The grief of losing him suddenly felt as fresh as though he had died days ago, not years.

The spirit of Graystripe met her gaze calmly. He gave her a small nod, rumbling in his deep mew, "We will walk again together soon. I'll wait for you forever, my love, and I have never truly left you."

Joy soared in Silverstream's heart to hear that Graystripe loved her still, that one day she would walk beside her in the stars. Then, she felt Millie stiffen beside her, uncertainty flashing in her blue eyes. Silverstream felt a surge of love for the she-cat by her side. She gave Millie a swift lick to her cheek, pressing her muzzle against her neck. "We'll all walk there together," she promised Millie, glancing back towards Graystripe. The tom gave a small, approving nod, a warm gleam in his eyes.

Suddenly, a shimmering light began to rise from the bodies of all of Silverstream's fallen Clanmates. Ferncloud's spirit rose gracefully from her body, bounding to the ranks of StarClan. Mousefur was soon after her, and then Featherwhisker's spirit was rising, leaving her body behind. She paused for a moment, giving her family a last, loving glance, before turning and bounding to Graystripe's side. Father and daughter purred, touching noses as they met for the first time.

Firestar was the last to rise. He gave his mate Sandstorm a final look of love, then joined Graystripe in StarClan's rank. Joy was shining in his eyes as he was finally reunited with his best friend.

Silverstream barely heard when Brambleclaw was announced as ThunderClan's new leader, or when he chose his daughter Hollyleaf as deputy. Even with the loss of her daughter, she was wrapped in a sense of contentment like she'd never felt before. Feathertail was safe with her father in StarClan, and the Clans were now safe from the Dark Forest forever. Silverstream was getting on in moons - soon, she and Millie would retire to the elder's den, to spend the rest of their days in peace and quiet. And then, when her time came, she would be reunited with the cats she had loved most in this world. She would be free to walk beside her beloved mates for all time in the stars, happy and in love, forever.

 _I will see you soon, my love._

* * *

Sundance, a moderator on BlogClan, Kate Cary's personal blog, is running a "what if?" fanfiction contest where contestants have to rewrite a scene from Warriors while changing an aspect of it. I decided to go with the concept, "What if Graystripe had died instead of Silverstream?" It's an idea I'd thought about before, so I'd already had some ideas built up for it and how it would shape and change the series. I'll explain some of my choices below. ^^ I apologize for the length of this, I didn't mean for it to turn out quite so long, but I wanted to get all of my ideas in there if I could. ^^

Well, to start, I decided to go with the idea, which Fireheart himself brought up when Graypool wandered into ThunderClan territory before she died, that Darkstripe happened upon Silverstream intruding and, being the aggressive sort that he is, immediately attacked. It seemed fitting for his character, and it was a way to get Graystripe killed rather than Silverstream. After that, it seemed fitting to let Silverstream join ThunderClan, for the reasons listed in the fanfic. Only unlike Graystripe, she actually stays in her new Clan.

Silverstream tends to be seen as a sweet, motherly, purely benign personality these days, but that really seemed to surface mostly after she died. When she was alive, she was stubborn and fierce. She had to be to be willing to break the warrior code to be with Graystripe. We saw her arguing with Fireheart when he tried to break up their relationship. I always felt like she and Fireheart wouldn't exactly be friends, their stubbornness would have them butting heads a lot, but that Fireheart would come to appreciate and respect Silverstream's intelligence and morality, and her willingness to argue with him when she thought he wasn't doing the right thing, which is why he chose her to be his deputy. It was also a way to give Bramblepaw a more understanding mentor, as I felt Silverstream wouldn't take Fireheart wanting to mentor an apprentice he clearly disliked lightly.

I was originally going to make a new, male kittypet for Silverstream to hook up with, but then my brain went, "why so heteronormative?" So I went ahead and kept Millie and made Silverstream bi. ^^ I decided to make Thornclaw the father of their kits 'cause in my fan 'verse I never gave him any kits, and he never seemed interested in having them until recent events, and he was one of the few mate-less toms close to Silver and Millie's age. So I picked him. I didn't get to say their full descriptions in the text, so Ripplestream is a light gray tabby tom with a thick pelt and green eyes (inherited from his father), Pondflower is a golden-brown tabby she-cat with pale amber eyes and a broken spine, and Willowstripe is a very pale brown tabby she-cat with dark stripe and pale blue eyes. I tried to give them all a mix of traits from their mothers and their father. ^^

And also Crowblaze and Hawkfrost are a thing now. ^^ Since Feathertail is a ThunderClan cat rather than a RiverClan cat here, and Brambleclaw was the ThunderClan cat chosen by StarClan and I didn't want to change that, I decided to make Hawkfrost StarClan's choice for RiverClan. A quest like that might give him the chance to really bond with other cats and have a chance to be important, and realize that caring about other cats matters more than power. The Tribe mistaking the prophecy cat also seemed to make sense if I made them mistake it for Bramble when the description was a dark tabby, since he and Hawkfrost are nearly identical, rather than them mistaking a dark gray cat for a silver cat. I imagine that he and Brambleclaw butted heads several times on the journey about who would be in charge, until some of the more dangerous encounters on the journey made Hawkfrost realize that Brambleclaw really was the better leader, and that keeping his new friends alive mattered more than caring about who was leading. And I imagine his romance with Crowblaze mellowed him out a bit. ^^ The pairing I didn't know I shipped until I thought it up. ^^

I named Crowblaze that since he had no reason to request to be named after Feathertail this time, and I figured a fierce suffix like -blaze would fit his personality. Also, I like the fire and ice imagery that Crowblaze and Hawkfrost's names suggest. ^^ I like the idea of these two grumpy, angsty toms grudgingly getting along, and that getting along eventually leading to friendship, and then that friendship eventually leading to a romance that both toms were very reluctant to admit to, but they finally both gave in and admitted how much they adored each other. I figured Hawkfrost had a better chance of living a full warrior's life in RiverClan where he could sit beside the river and scoop up fish, and swim, without having to be held back by his crippled leg. I decided to cripple his leg rather than killing him 'cause I thought it would make for an interesting change, and I didn't want to split him and Crowblaze up. Mudstar only took on ShadowClan allies because Hawkfrost didn't want to help him in this version, since he was no longer ambitious enough to want to overthrow a leader, and this results in Mistyfoot not being suspicious enough to tip off ThunderClan, which leads to Onewhisker not having ThunderClan allies to help him during the fight, which leads to Mudclaw's rebellion working. ^^ The "blood will spill blood" prophecy also isn't a thing in this 'verse, as Hawkfrost trained briefly with Bramble and Tiger, but neither brother was willing to go as far as Tigerstar was trying to push them in terms of taking over the Clans, so they both agreed to quit their training, and there was no need for blood to spill blood. ^^

That's all I can think of that I really wanted to get into. Silverstream is more stubborn than Graystripe and so was willing to stand up to Millie about her treatment of their kits, and Feathertail dies protecting her siblings because it seemed fitting. Also, Squirrel and Bramble are the real parents of the Three in this 'verse 'cause Crow/Leaf was never a thing since Crow is still happily with Hawk. Squirrelflight dies attacking Ashfur in this one since she had no "they aren't my kits" reveal to deter him with, and her only other way of getting her kits out of that situation was by distracting Ashfur by attacking him long enough for them to get out. And since Ashfur actually killed a cat this time, he goes straight to the Dark Forest (which he should've gone to anyway, but I digress.)

I apologize again for the length, and I hope y'all like this take on Silverstream surviving the birth of her kits! :D


End file.
